Motivation Theory

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Motivation Theory
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Bernard Weiners Attribution Theory

• Basic Assumption
• Future behavior is determined, in part, by the
  perceived causes (attributions) of prior outcomes.

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Why did I fail?

• Lack of effort?
• Absence of ability?
• Poor strategy?
• Bad luck?
• Bias of teachers?
• Hindrance from peers?
• Lack of interest in subject?
• Something else?

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Why did I succeed?

• Ability?
• Effort?
• Task difficulty?
• Luck?
• Low expectation of teacher?
• Interest in subject?

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Deep Thoughts By Jack Handey
Children need encouragement. So if a kid gets an
answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That
way he develops a good, lucky feeling.
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Three Dimensions of Achievement

• Stability (stable or subject to change?)
• Locus of causality (internal or external?)
• Controllability (under the individuals control
  or controlled by other people or events?)

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Motivation Attributes
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Comparison of performance vs. Mastery classrooms

• Performance Goals
• Judgment of high ability through high scores or
  appearance of good scores with little effort
• How are students performing?
• How can I (the student) best validate my
  competence?

• Mastery Goals
• Learning new skills mastery of new tasks
  improvement progress in learning
• Are the students learning?
• How can I (the student) best acquire this skill
  or master this task?

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Comparison of performance vs. Mastery classrooms,
cont.

• Performance Goals
• Intelligence is a fixed trait
• Choose moderately difficulty or easy tasks to
  display competence
• Reason for effort high grades performing better
  than others
• View of errors elicits anxietymay quit trying

• Mastery Goals
• Intelligence is dynamic
• Choose learning to increase competence at risk of
  making mistakes
• Reason for effort learn something new
• View of errors Part of learningsignal to
  redirect effort or change strategy

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Success

• In order to feel successful, one must expend
  effort and have a certain degree of uncertainty
  about the outcome. (Jammed door example)
• Successful achievement is like clearing an
  intellectual high jump barchampions dont
  continue to jump a bar that anyone could get
  overand a novice will not attempt a jump he/she
  has no chance of clearing.

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The learning environment should motivate
learners, maintain their interests, and keep them
moving. -Lehigh
University
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Dr. William H. Parrett (Saving our
Students,Saving our Schools, 2003)
Teacher Behaviors that De-motivate

• Sarcasm
• Negative tone of voice
• Negative body language
• Inconsistency
• Favoritism
• Put-downs

• Outbursts
• Public reprimands
• Unfairness
• Apathy
• Inflexibility
• Lack of humor

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Charlotte Danielson (Enhancing Student
Achievement, 2002)

• Competition is Damaging to Motivation
• Students learn to take pleasure in the
  misfortunes and missteps of others, rather than
  offering support and encouragement.
• Students should compete against themselves only.
• Student work should be evaluated against external
  standards of quality rather than against the work
  of other students.
• Adult culture in school should emphasize
  cooperation and collaboration.

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Children come to us like butterflies. When they
get here on the first day of school,
five-years-old, they think they can hang the
moon. If they stay in our systemany system even
our best graduates, theyre more like a cocoon
than when they came in. We stifle their
curiosity. We just about nail them to their
chairs we tell them to be quiet and we tell
them this is what theyre going to do and how,
and no more and no less. And we dont support
them, value them, nurture them. For some, we
decide early on that because Mommys a drug user
or Daddys not around that theyre not of value.
We dont expect too much. We dont believe. We
dont encourage. We dont let them learn with
their friends, and we dole out the chosen facts
that will cause them to fill out the ditto pages
correctly. How can we justify reverting our
butterflies back into their cocoons when we have
the tools and understanding to make them
stronger, more valuable, more beautiful
butterflies? Judy Stevens, Spring Branch,
Texas